Novar and K3 are jointly developing a solar thermal park at the Dorkwerd dredging depot on the north side of the city of Groningen.
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Novar is developing the largest solar heat (solar thermal) park in the Netherlands in Groningen in cooperation with area developer K3 and supplier TVP Solar for sustainable utility Warmtestad. It is the third largest solar thermal park in the world. The park is expected to be commissioned in 2024.
The farm is an important project in realizing a carbon-neutral and natural gas-free Groningen. Using solar collectors, the heat from the sun is collected and this heats the water that runs past the solar collectors. This makes solar thermal a sustainable, innovative and safe solution for Groningen's heat supply.
From Groningen, for Groningen.
Our process
Design
Permit
Funding
Construction
In use
The project is currently in the construction phase. The foundations have been poured and the building is wind and watertight. In the coming months, the electrical system, pumps and dry-coolers will be installed and work will begin on field piping, under structures and other electrics. The project is expected to be completed in Q2 2024.
How does solar thermal work?
Solar thermal is basically storing solar energy in hot water. When the sun shines, the collector captures sunlight and converts it into heat. This renewable heat is stored in a buffer tank and then directed toward the heat grid. A heat network is a pipe network under the ground that we use to transport heat to buildings and homes by means of hot water. This heats homes and buildings and provides hot water from the tap for showering, for example. A heat network is a sustainable and innovative energy solution that is easy to use and that many people can use simultaneously. A sustainable alternative to Groningen gas.
New technique
This project uses a new technique. More than 24,000 solar collectors are being used. The difference with "ordinary" collectors is that heat rather than electricity is generated. Instead of cables, water runs along the solar collectors. This water, heats up to about 85 degrees Celsius on a sunny day. A special vacuum technology in the collectors makes it possible to efficiently produce high temperatures.
Location of solar thermal park
This innovative solar project is being built on the former dredging depot in Dorkwerd, near the city of Groningen. The project is located under the Van Starckenborgh Canal.
Sustainable and local solution
The solar thermal farm covers an area of 12 hectares and will supply sustainable heat to the Groningen heat grid. The solar heat is sufficient for 25 percent of all the heat consumed by the more than 10,000 connected households and companies in Northwest Groningen.
The farm is a sustainable and local solution to the challenge we face in the Netherlands when it comes to the sustainable generation of energy.
Care for nature
The design of the solar thermal farm involved careful consideration of natural incorporation into the landscape. We asked an ecologist to write a design plan in coordination with the local beekeepers association, a number of local residents and authorities. In that coordination, a number of adjustments were made to the plan. The farm will now be built on piles, reducing the use of concrete and allowing more space for flower and herb-rich grasslands. Of the 22-hectare dredge depot, 12 acres are designated for solar thermal. On the remaining 10 hectares, nature will get all the space it needs.
"We asked an ecologist to develop a plan in consultation with the local beekeepers' association, several local residents and the authorities."
Last edited March 8, 2024
